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Do patients' illness beliefs predict depression measures at six months in primary care; a longitudinal study

Do patients' illness beliefs predict depression measures at six months in primary care; a longitudinal study
Do patients' illness beliefs predict depression measures at six months in primary care; a longitudinal study
Aims

To measure patients? beliefs about depression at baseline and determine whether these relate to depression severity at six months.

Methods

Primary care patients with a recently diagnosed episode of depression completed the Beliefs about Depression Questionnaire and depression severity scores at baseline. The primary outcome was the change in depression severity score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale after six months.

Results

227/292 (78%) participants completed follow-up questionnaires. Initial severity of depression at baseline, and particular beliefs about the causes, consequences and timeline of depression predicted poorer outcomes, whereas a belief in using exercise or keeping busy to treat depression predicted improved outcomes. Prescription of antidepressants did not appear to mediate these relationships.

Limitations

This was an initial study using a new validated questionnaire and it cannot be predicted whether these results are representative or would be reproduced in other populations. Although participants were primary care patients whose GP (General Practitioner) had coded as having a new incident episode of depression in the preceding six months, 43% of participants stated they had been depressed for more than a year. Sufficient participants were recruited to ensure the study was adequately powered but participation rate was 30%, raising the possibility of response bias.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Illness beliefs may help to predict outcomes in depression and therefore assessing and addressing patients? beliefs about their depression may enhance treatment.
depression, illness beliefs, longitudinal study, primary care
0165-0327
665-671
Lynch, Jeannette
b5b05bcd-7370-4c5b-b1d4-1b4c74d47065
Moore, Michael
1be81dad-7120-45f0-bbed-f3b0cc0cfe99
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Kendrick, Tony
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5
Lynch, Jeannette
b5b05bcd-7370-4c5b-b1d4-1b4c74d47065
Moore, Michael
1be81dad-7120-45f0-bbed-f3b0cc0cfe99
Moss-Morris, Rona
a502f58a-d319-49a6-8aea-9dde4efc871e
Kendrick, Tony
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5

Lynch, Jeannette, Moore, Michael, Moss-Morris, Rona and Kendrick, Tony (2015) Do patients' illness beliefs predict depression measures at six months in primary care; a longitudinal study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 174, 665-671. (doi:10.1016/j.jad.2014.12.005). (PMID:25590645)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Aims

To measure patients? beliefs about depression at baseline and determine whether these relate to depression severity at six months.

Methods

Primary care patients with a recently diagnosed episode of depression completed the Beliefs about Depression Questionnaire and depression severity scores at baseline. The primary outcome was the change in depression severity score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale after six months.

Results

227/292 (78%) participants completed follow-up questionnaires. Initial severity of depression at baseline, and particular beliefs about the causes, consequences and timeline of depression predicted poorer outcomes, whereas a belief in using exercise or keeping busy to treat depression predicted improved outcomes. Prescription of antidepressants did not appear to mediate these relationships.

Limitations

This was an initial study using a new validated questionnaire and it cannot be predicted whether these results are representative or would be reproduced in other populations. Although participants were primary care patients whose GP (General Practitioner) had coded as having a new incident episode of depression in the preceding six months, 43% of participants stated they had been depressed for more than a year. Sufficient participants were recruited to ensure the study was adequately powered but participation rate was 30%, raising the possibility of response bias.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Illness beliefs may help to predict outcomes in depression and therefore assessing and addressing patients? beliefs about their depression may enhance treatment.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 2 December 2014
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 December 2014
Published date: 15 March 2015
Keywords: depression, illness beliefs, longitudinal study, primary care
Organisations: Primary Care & Population Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 373496
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/373496
ISSN: 0165-0327
PURE UUID: 45ac1797-cf36-43bb-a3bc-eac51807e09c
ORCID for Michael Moore: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5127-4509
ORCID for Tony Kendrick: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1618-9381

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 20 Jan 2015 15:23
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:22

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Contributors

Author: Jeannette Lynch
Author: Michael Moore ORCID iD
Author: Rona Moss-Morris
Author: Tony Kendrick ORCID iD

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